Tsvangirai spokesman to release audio on his preferred successor

Former Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka has once again subtly suggested that acting party president Nelson Chamisa was Tsvangirai’s preferred successor.

There has been bitter infighting among Tsvangirai’s three deputies, Chamisa, Elias Mudzuri and Thokozani Khupe over who should lead the party.

Tamborinyoka has promised to release “in the not so distant future”, material from “Tsvangirai, in his own voice, divulging the succession permutations and his succession preferences”.

In an opinion piece in Newsday, today, Tamborinyoka said: “That revelation will put paid to any doubts about the satisfaction of Tsvangirai’s spirit at what is about to unravel.

“That revelation is a function I promised him I would posthumously execute as a valediction to my role as his spokesperson.

“I know he died a frustrated man by being precluded from seeing and talking to those he loved — those he wanted around him in his final hours.

“For the record — and without going into details — I know this because he told me himself.”

Tsvangirai died in Johannesburg last week and Chamisa was appointed acting president within hours.

Tsvangirai’s mother, however, shocked those gathered at the airport to receive his body that she did not want to see Chamisa or even listen to his speech, threatening to hang herself.

Chamisa was, however, the key speaker at all ceremonies right up to Tsvangirai’s burial at his rural home in Buhera.

Party supporters are also reported to have assaulted the only elected MDC-T vice-president Khupe at the burial ceremony.

Khupe argues that she should be the party’s acting president as she was elected by congress while Chamisa and Mudzuri were appointed by Tsvangirai.

It is not clear how the succession will pan out by party spokesman Obert Gutu quit yesterday saying he did not want to be associated with violence and thuggery.

Post Pagination

Like it? Share with your friends!

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.